Holder including a vertical holding part and a swing mechanism

ABSTRACT

A holder includes a vertical holding part configured to support an infant in a vertical posture so that the head is positioned vertically, in which the vertical holding part has a front pad part extending in a vertical direction and configured to support the infant from a front of the infant, at least from the abdomen to the chest of the infant.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2019-225820,filed Dec. 13, 2019, and 2020-040338 filed Mar. 9, 2020, the contents ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a holder.

Description of Related Art

As a swing holder, for example, a device is known which swings an infantor a baby (hereinafter referred to as an infant) like a pendulum whilethe infant is seated (for example, see Japanese Unexamined PatentApplication, First Publication No. 2016-221269 (hereinafter, PatentDocument 1)). As a result, the infant can be provided with a comfortableswing, and the infant can be soothed and entertained.

In the related art, a sling is used in a state of holding the infant ina vertical position so that the head of the infant is positioned upward(hereinafter, this state is referred to as a vertically held state) (forexample, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First PublicationNo. 2019-76629 (hereinafter, Patent Document 2)). The sling can reducethe amount of effort necessary for the parents to hold the infant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a case in which a parent wants to perform household duties while theinfant is soothed in a vertically held state using a sling as in PatentDocument 2, for example, when trying to lay the soothed baby on a bedsideways, the infant may get up and the parents may not be able to taketheir hands away from the infant.

The swing holder of Patent Document 1 can be used when an infant isawake, but there is a possibility that the posture of the infant willbecome unstable when trying to put the infant to sleep. There is also apossibility that the swing holder may be difficult to use for an infantwho sleeps in a vertically held state. Although there are holders thatswing while the infant is laid sideways, some infants prefer avertically held state.

An aspect according to the present invention has been made inconsideration of such circumstances, and one of the objects is toprovide a holder capable of soothing an infant in a vertically heldstate.

In order to solve the aforementioned problems and achieve at least oneof the objects concerned, the present invention has adopted thefollowing aspects.

(1): A holder according to an aspect of the present invention includes avertical holding part configured to support a user in a vertical postureso that a head is positioned vertically, in which the vertical holdingpart has a front pad part extending in a vertical direction andconfigured to support the user from a front of the user, at least froman abdomen to a chest of the user.

According to the aforementioned aspect (1), the vertical holding partcan maintain the natural posture of a user (for example, an infant) in avertical orientation. Therefore, the infant can be soothed in avertically held state.

(2): In the aforementioned aspect (1), the holder may have a carrierconfigured to support a lower side and a back of the user.

According to the aforementioned aspect (2), the vertically held state ofthe user can be further stabilized by the carrier.

(3): In the aforementioned aspect (2), the carrier may have a seat partconfigured to hold at least the back of the user and a band partconfigured to suspend the seat part, and the holder may include a bandsupport part provided above the vertical holding part and configured tosupport the band part.

According to the aforementioned aspect (3), when the band support partis provided above the vertical holding part and the band part issuspended on the band support part, the user held by the seat part isattracted toward the vertical holding part side by his or her ownweight. Therefore, the user can be brought into close contact with thevertical holding part, and a feeling of security may be provided to theuser. Therefore, the infant can be more reliably soothed in a verticallyheld state.

(4): In any one of the aforementioned aspects (1) to (3), a temporaryseating surface on which the user is placeable may be provided below thevertical holding part.

According to the aforementioned aspect (4), after the user istemporarily placed on the temporary seating surface, the user can besupported by the vertical holding part. Therefore, it is possible toreduce the burden on the parent using the holder to hold the user.

(5): In any one of the aforementioned aspects (1) to (4), the verticalholding part may have at least one bulging part in which a central partin a left-right direction bulges toward the user side from both sides inthe left-right direction orthogonal to a direction between the user sideand a side opposite to the user and the vertical direction, the bulgingpart extending in the vertical direction of the vertical holding part.

According to the aforementioned aspect (5), the user can be supported bythe vertical holding part without placing the user in an unreasonableposture. Compared with a case where the vertical holding part is flat,the pressure on the user can be reduced.

(6): In the aforementioned aspect (5), two bulging parts may be disposedside by side in the left-right direction.

According to the aforementioned aspect (6), the head of the user can beplaced between the two bulging parts, and the head can be stabilized.

(7): In the aforementioned aspect (5) or (6), the vertical holding partmay have a convex part protruding toward the user, and the bulging partsmay be disposed above the convex part.

According to the aforementioned aspect (7), it is possible to obtain afeeling of security in which the user supported by the vertical holdingpart is held in a manner simulating that of a mother's body.

(8): In any one of the aforementioned aspects (1) to (7), the verticalholding part may be attachable to and detachable from a mounting body.

According to the aforementioned aspect (8), for example, only thevertical holding part need be carried around. The vertical holding partcan be attached to various mounting bodies, and the vertical holdingpart can be used in various situations and applications. Therefore, itis possible to provide a holder that is easy to use.

(9): In the aforementioned aspect (8), the holder may further include anattachment configured to attach and detach the vertical holding part toand from the mounting body.

According to the aforementioned aspect (9), the vertical holding partcan be easily attached to and detached from the mounting body byattachment.

(10): In the aforementioned aspect (8) or (9), the mounting body may bea swing mechanism configured to swing the vertical holding part.

According to the aforementioned aspect (10), the swing mechanism canprovide a comfortable swing to the user. Therefore, for this reason, theinfant can be soothed in a vertically held state.

(11): In the aforementioned aspect (10), the swing mechanism may swingthe vertical holding part in at least one of a vertical direction and apivoting direction.

According to the aforementioned aspect (11), the user may be providedwith a comfortable swing. Therefore, the infant can be further soothedin a vertically held state.

(12): In the aforementioned aspect (10) or (11), the swing mechanism maybe disposed below the vertical holding part, and a position of a centerof gravity of the swing mechanism may be on a side opposite to aposition of the user with the vertical holding part therebetween.

According to the aforementioned aspect (12), when the holder is used, itis possible to prevent the holder from tilting due to the weight of theuser and causing the holder to fall.

According to these aspects of the present invention, it is possible toprovide a holder capable of soothing an infant in a vertically heldstate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a swing holder according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a state of the swing holder beingused by an infant according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a framework in the embodiment of thepresent invention as viewed from a user side.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the framework in the embodiment of thepresent invention as viewed from a side opposite to the user.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the framework in the embodiment of the presentinvention as viewed from above.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the framework in the embodiment of the presentinvention as viewed from below.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a usage pattern of a verticalholding part of a swing holder in a modified example of the embodimentof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described on thebasis of the drawings.

<Swing Holder>

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a swing holder 1. FIG. 2 is anexplanatory view showing a state of the swing holder 1 being used by aninfant Y. FIG. 1 shows a state in which a carrier 5 of the swing holder1 is detached. In the following description, a vertical direction inwhich the swing holder 1 is placed on a floor F in a usable state issimply referred to as the vertical direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the swing holder 1 is mainly used for aninfant Y. The swing holder 1 mainly includes a base part 2, a swingmechanism 3 provided on the base part 2, a holder 90 provided on theswing mechanism 3, and a carrier 5 suspended from an upper part of theholder 90.

The holder 90 has a vertical holding part 4. The infant Y is supportedin a vertical posture in which the head Yt is located at the top andholds the vertical holding part 4 from the front while facing thevertical holding part 4. In the following description, an infant Y sideon which the vertical holding part 4 is held from the vertical holdingpart 4 is referred to as a user side, and the side opposite to the userside is referred to as a side opposite to the user. The directionbetween the user side and the side opposite to the user is referred toas a front-rear direction. A left-right direction with respect to theinfant Y holding the vertical holding part 4 is simply referred to as aleft-right direction. A surface direction of a surface of which adirection normal thereto is the vertical direction may be referred to asa horizontal direction. The directions toward the user side and the sideopposite to the user, and the left-right direction are parallel to thehorizontal direction.

<Base Part>

The base part 2 has a disc-shaped base part main body 6. The surfacedirection of the base part main body 6 extends along the horizontaldirection. A flat part 6 a having a shape, in which part of the basepart main body 6 is cut off, is formed on the side opposite to the userof an outer peripheral portion of the base part main body 6. The flatpart 6 a is for positioning part of the swing mechanism 3.

On the outer peripheral portion of the base part main body 6, four basearms 7 extending along a radial direction of the base part main body 6are provided radially at equal intervals in a circumferential direction.Each base arm 7 is disposed to avoid the flat part 6 a of the base partmain body 6. A caster 8 is provided at a tip of each base arm 7. A wheel8 a of the caster 8 allows the swing holder 1 to travel on the floor F.

<Swing Mechanism>

The swing mechanism 3 includes a first swing mechanism part 11 providedon the base part main body 6, and a second swing mechanism part 12provided on the first swing mechanism part 9.

The first swing mechanism part 11 has a cylindrical first support 13provided on the base part main body 6. A central axis of the firstsupport 13 extends along the vertical direction. A cylindrical swingguide 14 disposed concentrically with the first support 13 is supportedinside the first support 13 in the radial direction in a freelyrotatable manner. The upper part of the swing guide 14 protrudes fromthe first support 13.

An inclined surface 14 b inclined to gradually move upward from the userside toward the side opposite to the user is formed on the upper end ofthe swing guide 14 in the protruding part 14 a of the protruding swingguide 14. The inclined surface 14 b regulates a swing direction of thevertical holding part 4 (details will be described later). In theprotruding part 14 a of the swing guide 14, a first external gear 15 isprovided below the inclined surface 14 b. The first external gear 15 isdisposed concentrically with the swing guide 14 and rotates integrallywith the swing guide 14.

A second external gear 16 is meshed with the first external gear 15. Thesecond external gear 16 is disposed on the side opposite to the user ofthe first external gear 15. A motor shaft 17 a of a first motor 17 isattached to the second external gear 16. The second external gear 16 isrotated by the first motor 17. The first motor 17 is fixed to the firstsupport 13 via a bracket 18. A side surface of the first motor 17 is incontact with the flat part 6 a of the base part main body 6. As aresult, the first motor 17 is suitably positioned with respect to thebase part main body 6.

The second swing mechanism part 12 has a cylindrical support case 21disposed inside the swing guide 14 in the first swing mechanism part 11in the radial direction. The support case 21 is disposed concentricallywith the swing guide 14. The support case 21 is provided to be freelyrotatable with respect to the swing guide 14 and freely movable in thevertical direction. The upper part of the support case 21 protrudesupward via the inclined surface 14 b of the swing guide 14. Adisk-shaped base plate 27 is provided at an upper end of the supportcase 21. The base plate 27 is disposed concentrically with the supportcase 21. The base plate 27 supports a turntable 23 and a second motor25, which will be described later.

Inside the support case 21, a support shaft 26 is provided to be freelyrotatable with respect to the support case 21 and freely movable in thevertical direction. Like the support case 21, the support shaft 26 alsoprotrudes upward via the inclined surface 14 b of the swing guide 14.

A roller 20 is provided on the user side of the protruding part 26 a ofthe protruding support shaft 26. The roller 20 protrudes from an outerperipheral surface of the support case 21 via the support case 21. Theroller 20 is disposed on the inclined surface 14 b of the swing guide14. When the support shaft 26 rotates, the roller 20 moves along theinclined surface 14 b of the swing guide 14.

The upper end of the protruding part 26 a of the support shaft 26protrudes from the support case 21. A disc-shaped turntable 23 isprovided at the upper end of the protruding part 26 a via an attachment22. The turntable 23 is disposed concentrically with the support shaft26 and is provided with respect to the support shaft 26 in a freelyrotatable manner.

An outer diameter of the turntable 23 is almost the same as an outerdiameter of the base plate 27. A plurality of ball casters 28 aredisposed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction between theturntable 23 and the base plate 27. The ball casters 28 support theturntable 23 with respect to the base plate 27 in a freely rotatablemanner.

A motor shaft 25 a of the second motor 25 is attached to a lower surface23 a of the turntable 23 via a link mechanism 24 on the side opposite tothe user of the outer peripheral portion.

The link mechanism 24 connects a plurality of (for example, two in thisembodiment) link arms 24 a in a freely rotatable manner. One end of thelink mechanism 24 (an end portion of one link arm 24 a) is connected tothe turntable 23. The other end of the link mechanism 24 (an end portionof the other link arm 24 a) is attached to the motor shaft 25 a of thesecond motor 25.

The second motor 25 is fixed to the base plate 27 via the bracket 29.The bracket 29 extends from the base plate 27 toward the side oppositeto the user.

Under such a configuration, when the motor shaft 25 a of the secondmotor 25 is rotated in one direction, the turntable 23 pivots and swingswithin a predetermined rotation angle range via the link mechanism 24.

Here, because the first motor 17 and the second motor 25 are located onthe side opposite to the user with respect to the support shaft 26, theentire center of gravity of the swing mechanism 3 is located on the sideopposite to the user with respect to the support shaft 26.

A temporary seating surface 30 is attached to an upper surface 23 b ofthe turntable 23 on the user side of the outer peripheral portion. Thetemporary seating surface 30 pivots and swings integrally with theturntable 23. The temporary seating surface 30 is where, for example,the parent temporarily seats the infant Y when the parent uses the swingholder 1 to the infant Y.

The temporary seating surface 30 is a plate-shaped member whose surfacedirection is along a horizontal plane. The temporary seating surface 30has a seating surface main body 31 extending in the left-right directionwhen viewed in the vertical direction and a mounting part 32 extendingfrom the side of the seating surface main body 31 opposite to the userformed integrally therein. The seating surface main body 31 is a placeon which the infant Y is seated.

The mounting part 32 is disposed at the center of the seating surfacemain body 31 in the left-right direction. The mounting part 32 ismounted on the upper surface 23 b of the turntable 23.

An opening 31 a is formed in most of the seating surface main body 31.Breathability for the seating surface main body 31 is ensured by theopening 31 a, and reduction in weight of the seating surface main body31 is thus obtained. On the side opposite to the user of the seatingsurface main body 31, inclined sides 31 b are formed to be inclined totaper from both sides in the left-right direction toward the mountingpart 32. A space is ensured on the side opposite to the user of theseating surface main body 31 and on both sides across the mounting part32 by the inclined sides 31 b. This space can be used as a space forstretching the legs of the infant Y when the infant Y is seated on theseating surface main body 31.

The vertical holding part 4 is supported on the upper surface 23 b ofthe turntable 23 via the support plate 33. The support plate 33 is aplate-shaped member extending upward from the upper surface 23 b of theturntable 23. The vertical holding part 4 is supported to be tiltable(freely rotatable) with respect to the axial direction of the supportplate 33. That is, the vertical holding part 4 is located substantiallydirectly above the support shaft 26. The vertical holding part 4 isintegrated with the turntable 23 via the support plate 33.

<Vertical Holding Part>

The vertical holding part 4 includes a framework 41 that forms an outershell of the vertical holding part 4, and a cushion part 42 that coversan outer surface of the framework 41. The cushion part 42 is formed tocorrespond to an outer shape of the framework 41. Details of the outershape of the framework 41 will be described later. The cushion part 42is formed of a soft material such as urethane resin. However, thepresent invention is not limited thereto, and the cushion part 42 may bemade of a softer material than that of the framework 41. Further, it isdesirable that the cushion part 42 be formed of a material having goodbreathability.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the framework 41 as viewed from the userside. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the framework 41 as viewed fromthe side opposite to the user. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the framework 41as viewed from above. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the framework 41 asviewed from below.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the framework 41 is formed of, for example, ahard resin in a tubular shape having a hollow part 41 a inside. Thevertical length of the framework 41 is longer than the length from thebuttocks Yd to the head Yt of the infant Y. The framework 41 has a lowerbody 43 and an upper body 44 integrally molded at an upper end of thelower body 43.

The lower body 43 mainly has a role of supporting the vicinity of thebuttocks Yd of the infant Y. The lower body 43 is formed in an ovalshape that is slightly longer in the left-right direction when viewedfrom the vertical direction as a whole. A plate-shaped lateral rib 45facing in the left-right direction and the vertical direction is formedin the hollow part 41 a of the lower body 43 at substantially the centerin the front-rear direction. The lateral rib 45 is for increasing themechanical strength of the vertical holding part 4. The side opposite tothe user of the lateral rib 45 of the lower body 43 is formed in arectangular shape that is longer in the left-right direction when viewedfrom the vertical direction. As a result, a flat part 43 a facing theleft-right direction and the vertical direction is formed on the sideopposite to the user of the lower body 43.

A convex part 46 that curves so as to protrude toward the user side isformed on the user side of the lateral rib 45 of the lower body 43. Theconvex part 46 constitutes part of a front pad part 55 that supports theinfant Y from the front.

Specifically explaining the convex part 46, the convex part 46 is curvedsuch that a central side in the left-right direction bulges toward theuser side rather than both sides in the left-right direction. The convexpart 46 is curved to bulge toward the user side from an upper end to alower end.

A plurality of ventilation holes 48 through which the outside of thelower body 43 communicates with the hollow part 41 a are formed on thecurved surface 46 a of the convex part 46 on the user side and the flatpart 43 a on the side opposite to the user. The ventilation holes 48 areformed in a fan shape to widen downward. However, the shape of theventilation holes 48 is not limited thereto, and can be various shapessuch as a circle or a quadrangle. For example, by forming theventilation holes 48 in a circular shape, it is possible to preventstress from being locally applied to part of the ventilation holes 48and to increase the mechanical strength of the framework 41. A pluralityof large ventilation holes 48 a having a larger opening area than otherventilation holes 48 are formed at the center in the left-rightdirection among the plurality of ventilation holes 48. The largeventilation holes 48 a are disposed side by side in the verticaldirection and in two rows in the left-right direction. The largeventilation hole 48 a is used, for example, as a hole through which atool or the like (not shown) used when assembling the vertical holdingpart 4 may pass. As a result, the ease of assembly of the verticalholding part 4 can be improved.

Two vertical ribs 47 extending between the lateral rib 45 and the curvedsurface 46 a of the convex part 46 are formed in the hollow part 41 a ofthe lower body 43. The two vertical ribs 47 are disposed side by side inthe left-right direction. The upper part of the support plate 33 isattached to the two vertical ribs 47 in a freely rotatable manner. As aresult, the vertical holding part 4 can be tilted toward the user sideand the side opposite to the user with respect to the support plate 33.

The upper body 44 mainly has a role of supporting the vicinity of thehead Yt of the infant Y. The upper body 44 is formed in an oval shapethat is slightly longer in the left-right direction when viewed from thevertical direction as a whole. The surface of the upper body 44 on theuser side is also configured as a front pad part 55 that supports theinfant Y from the front. That is, the front pad part 55 supports theinfant Y from the front over the entire area from the buttocks Yd to thehead Yt of the infant Y Two bulging parts 49 that bulge toward the userside are formed in the front pad part 55 of the upper body 44. The twobulging parts 49 are disposed side by side in the left-right directionof the upper body 44.

The two bulging parts 49 are formed to bulge toward the center in theleft-right direction from the two sides in the left-right direction. Thetwo bulging parts 49 are formed over the entire vertical direction ofthe upper body 44. Therefore, a valley 52 is formed between the twobulging parts 49, that is, at the center of the upper body 44 in theleft-right direction. The two bulging parts 49 are formed so as to bulgefurthest slightly below the center of the upper body 44 in the verticaldirection.

The side opposite to the user of the upper body 44 slightly bulgestoward the side opposite to the user of the flat part 43 a of the lowerbody 43. A protruding part 50 is formed downward in the lower part ofthe upper body 44 on the side opposite to the user. The protruding part50 extends from the lower end of the upper body 44 to substantially thecenter of the flat part 43 a in the vertical direction. The surface ofthe protruding part 50 is smoothly connected to the surface of the upperbody 44. The protruding part 50 is formed to gradually taper downwardwhen viewed from the front-rear direction. It is possible to increasethe mechanical strength of the framework 41 due to the protruding part50.

In such an upper body 44, a plurality of ventilation holes 51 throughwhich the outside of the upper body 44 communicates with the hollow part41 a are formed on the front pad part 55 and the surface on the sideopposite to the user. The shape of the ventilation holes 51 is the sameas the shape of the ventilation holes 48 of the lower body 43. That is,the ventilation holes 51 are formed in a fan shape to widen downward.However, the shape of the ventilation holes 51 is not limited theretoand can be various shapes such as a circle or a quadrangle. A pluralityof large ventilation holes 51 a having a larger opening area than otherventilation holes 51 are formed at the center in the left-rightdirection (the valley 52 on the surface on the user side) among theplurality of ventilation holes 51. The large ventilation holes 51 a aredisposed side by side in the vertical direction and in two rows in theleft-right direction.

<Band Support Part>

Returning to FIGS. 1 and 2, a band support part 60 is provided on theupper part of the vertical holding part 4. The band support part 60 isfor supporting the carrier 5. The band support part 60 has two arms 61disposed in the hollow part 41 a of the framework 41 in the verticalholding part 4. The two arms 61 are disposed in the hollow part 41 a ofthe framework 41. The two arms 61 have a long plate shape in thevertical direction, and are disposed so that a thickness directionbecomes a left-right direction. The two arms 61 are disposed side byside in the left-right direction. The two arms 61 are fixed to an innersurface side of the framework 41 and are connected to a support plate 33provided on the upper surface 23 b of the turntable 23 in a tiltablemanner (freely rotatably). The vertical holding part 4 is supported tobe tiltable (freely rotatable) with respect to the axial direction ofthe support plate 33 via the support plate 33.

The upper parts of the two arms 61 protrude upward from the framework41. A handle insertion hole 61 a is formed in the protruding part. Acolumnar support handle 62 is inserted into the handle insertion hole 61a. The carrier 5 is supported by the support handle 62. The supporthandle 62 is inserted into the two handle insertion holes 61 a and isformed to have a length that protrudes from both sides in thecircumferential direction of the two arms 61. The support handles 62 arefixed to the two arms 61.

<Carrier>

As shown in FIG. 2, the carrier 5 attracts the infant Y to the verticalholding part 4 while holding the infant Y. The carrier 5 has a seat part71 that holds the infant Y from the buttocks Yd to a back Yh thereof,and a lower band part 72 and an upper band part 73 that extend from theseat part 71.

Both ends of the lower band part 72 are joined to both sides of theseating surface 71 a of the seat part 71 in the left-right direction toform a ring. The upper band part 73 is provided on both sides of theback pad part 71 b of the seat part 71 in the left-right direction. Bothend portions of each upper band part 73 are joined to the side portionsof the corresponding back pad parts 71 b to form a ring. The length ofthe upper band part 73 is adjustable.

With such a configuration, the carrier 5 is attached so that the lowerband part 72 is wrapped around the lower part of the vertical holdingpart 4. The carrier 5 is attached to hook the upper band part 73 on theleft and right sides of the support handle 62. That is, the upper bandpart 73 is suspended from the support handle 62.

Here, the band support part 60 is provided above the vertical holdingpart 4. That is, the support handle 62 is provided on the arm 61 thatprotrudes upward from the hollow part 41 a of the framework 41. Sincethe upper band part 73 is suspended from such a support handle 62, theinfant Y is attracted to the front pad part 55 side of the verticalholding part 4 by its own weight. Therefore, the infant Y can be held bythe carrier 5 and the front pad part 55 of the vertical holding part 4.

The vertical holding part 4 is supported so that the vertical holdingpart 4 can be tilted with respect to the axial direction of the supportshaft 26 via the support plate 33 provided on the upper surface 23 b ofthe turntable 23. Therefore, for example, when the vertical holding part4 is slightly tilted toward the side opposite to the user (see an arrowY1 and an alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 2), the infant Ycan be further leaned against the front pad part 55 of the verticalholding part 4. Therefore, by changing the angle of the vertical holdingpart 4, the infant Y can be brought into close contact with the verticalholding part 4. The infant Y can be reliably supported by the front padpart 55 of the vertical holding part 4.

<Preparation when Using Swing Holder>

Next, preparations for allowing the infant Y use the swing holder 1 willbe described.

When the carrier 5 is attached to the swing holder 1, first, the carrier5 is detached from the vertical holding part 4 and the band support part60. Further, the seat part 71 of the carrier 5 is placed on thetemporary seating surface 30. The infant Y is placed on the seat part 71placed on the temporary seating surface 30. After that, the lower bandpart 72 is attached to the vertical holding part 4, and the upper bandpart 73 is attached to the band support part 60.

Then, the upper band part 73 is suspended from the support handle 62 ofthe band support part 60, and the infant Y is attracted to the front padpart 55 side of the vertical holding part 4 by its own weight. As aresult, the infant Y is brought into close contact with the front padpart 55 of the vertical holding part 4, and the front pad part 55supports the infant Y from the front. The carrier 5 supports the infantY from rear. That is, the carrier 5 supports the support of the infant Yusing the vertical holding part 4.

The vicinity of the buttocks Yd of the infant Y is supported by thelower body 43 of the vertical holding part 4. Since the convex part 46is formed in the lower body 43, the infant Y can easily hold the lowerbody 43 with his/her legs. Further, the vicinity of the head Yt of theinfant Y is supported by the upper body 44 of the vertical holding part4. Two bulging parts 49 are formed side by side in the left-rightdirection on the upper body 44, and a valley 52 is formed between thebulging parts 49. The head Yt of the infant Y is stabilized by fittingthe head Yt of the infant Yin the valley 52.

<Motion of Swing Holder>

Next, the motion of the swing holder 1 will be described.

The vertical holding part 4 of the swing holder 1 swings in threepatterns of vertical swinging, pivot swinging, and vertical pivotswinging by operating the first swing mechanism part 11 and the secondswing mechanism part 12. The vertical pivot swing is a combination ofvertical swing and pivot swing. Each swinging motion allows the infant Yheld by the swing holder 1 to experience a comfortable swing.Hereinafter, each swinging motion will be described in detail.

<Vertical Swinging Motion>

First, the vertical swinging motion will be described.

In the case of vertical swinging motion, only the first motor 17 of thefirst swing mechanism part 11 is driven. When the first motor 17 isdriven, the swing guide 14 is rotated via the external gears 15 and 16.At this time, the rotation of the support shaft 26 of the second swingmechanism part 12 is restricted. Therefore, when the swing guide 14 isrotated, the roller 20 provided on the support shaft 26 is moved alongthe inclined surface 14 b of the swing guide 14.

Then, the support shaft 26 swings vertically in response to the rotationof the swing guide 14. The turntable 23 swings vertically to follow thevertical swing of the support shaft 26. The vertical holding part 4integrated with the turntable 23 via the support plate 33 alsovertically swings (see an arrow Z in FIG. 1).

<Pivot Swinging Motion>

Next, the pivot swinging motion will be described.

In the case of pivot swinging motion, only the second motor 25 of thesecond swing mechanism part 12 is driven. When the second motor 25 isdriven, the turntable 23 is pivots and swings within a predeterminedrotation angle range via the link mechanism 24. The turntable 23 isprovided in a freely rotatable manner with respect to the support shaft26. Therefore, even if the turntable 23 is rotated, the support shaft 26is not rotated.

That is, the relative positions between the roller 20 provided on thesupport shaft 26 and the swing guide 14 are not changed, and the roller20 is not moved along the inclined surface 14 b of the swing guide 14.As a result, the support shaft 26 does not swing vertically, and onlythe turntable 23 pivots and swings. When the turntable 23 pivots andswings, the vertical holding part 4 integrated with the turntable 23 viathe support plate 33 also pivots and swings (see an arrow θ in FIG. 1).

<Vertical Pivot Swinging Motion>

Next, the vertical pivot swinging motion will be described.

In the case of the vertical pivot swinging motion, both the motors 17and 25 of the first motor 17 of the first swing mechanism part 11 andthe second motor 25 of the second swing mechanism part 12 are driven.Then, the swing guide 14 is rotated by the first motor 17 of the firstswing mechanism part 11, and the support shaft 26 swings vertically. Theturntable 23 and the vertical holding part 4 swing vertically followingthe vertical swing of the support shaft 26. The turntable 23 pivots andswings by the second motor 25 of the second swing mechanism part 12.Therefore, the vertical holding part 4 also pivots and swings. In thisway, the vertical holding part 4 is simultaneously subjected to thevertical swinging motion and the pivot swinging motion.

Here, for example, when the parent holds and soothes the infant Y, theparent often shakes the infant up and down, while shaking left andright. That is, the vertical pivot swinging motion of the swing holder 1can be made as similar as possible to the motion when the parent holdsand soothes the infant Y.

In this way, the aforementioned swing holder 1 includes the verticalholding part 4 having the front pad part 55 that supports the infant Yfrom the front, and two swing mechanism parts 11 and 12 that swing thevertical holding part 4. Therefore, while maintaining the naturalposture of the infant Yin the vertical direction by the vertical holdingpart 4, it is possible to make the infant Y feel a comfortable swing bythe swing mechanism parts 11 and 12. Therefore, the infant Y can besoothed in a vertically held state.

The swing holder 1 includes a carrier 5. Therefore, the carrier 5 cansupport the maintenance of the infant Y by the vertical holding part 4.Therefore, the vertically held state of the infant Y can be furtherstabilized.

The carrier 5 has a seat part 71 that holds from the buttocks Yd to theback Yh of the infant Y, and a lower band part 72 and an upper band part73 that extend from the seat part 71. A band support part 60 thatsuspends the upper band part 73 is provided above the vertical holdingpart 4. Therefore, the infant Y can be attracted to the front pad part55 of the vertical holding part 4 by the carrier 5. As a result, theinfant Y can be brought into close contact with the vertical holdingpart 4, and a feeling of security may be provided to the infant Y.Therefore, the infant Y can be more reliably soothed in a verticallyheld state.

A temporary seating surface 30 is attached to the upper surface 23 b ofthe turntable 23 on the user side of the outer peripheral portion. Thatis, the temporary seating surface 30 is disposed below the verticalholding part 4. After the infant Y is placed on the temporary seatingsurface 30, the vertical holding part 4 can support the infant Y.Therefore, it is possible to reduce the burden on the parent or the likewho uses the swing holder 1 to hold the infant Y.

The upper body 44 of the vertical holding part 4 (the framework 41) isformed with two bulging parts 49 that bulge toward the user side.Therefore, the infant Y can be supported by the vertical holding part 4,without placing the infant Y in an unreasonable posture. Compared with acase where the front pad part 55 of the upper body 44 is flat, thepressure on the infant Y can be reduced. Further, the head Yt of theinfant Y can be disposed between the two bulging parts 49, and the headYt can be stabilized.

The lower body 43 of the vertical holding part 4 (the framework 41) isformed with a convex part 46 that protrudes toward the user side. Theconvex part 46 can make it easier for the infant Y to hold the lowerbody 43 with his/her legs. Two bulging parts 49 are disposed side byside in the left-right direction above the convex part 46. Therefore,since the head Yt of the infant Y fits in the valley 52 formed betweenthe bulging parts 49, the head Yt can be stabilized. In other words, itis possible to provide a feeling of security to the infant Y bysimulating a mother's body in being supported by the vertical holdingpart 4.

The vertical holding part 4 includes a framework 41 that forms the outershell of the vertical holding part 4, and a cushion part 42 that coversthe outer surface of the framework 41 and is softer than the framework41. By providing the cushion part 42, it is possible to reduce thediscomfort of the infant Y supported by the vertical holding part 4.

The framework 41 is formed in a tubular shape having a hollow part 41 ainside. A plurality of ventilation holes 48, 48 a, 51 and 51 a areformed in the framework 41. Therefore, the breathability between thevertical holding part 4 and the infant Y can be ensured, and stuffinessaround the body of the infant Y can be prevented.

The vertical holding part 4 can be made to swing in three patterns ofvertical swing, pivot swing, and vertical pivot swing by each of theswing mechanism parts 11 and 12. Therefore, it is possible to make eachinfant Y feel a comfortable swinging according to the preference of theinfant Y using the swing holder.

The vertical holding part 4 is located substantially directly above thesupport shaft 26. In contrast, the center of gravity of the entire swingmechanism 3 is located on the side opposite to the user of the supportshaft 26. That is, the three positions of the center of gravity of theswing mechanism are opposite to the position of the infant Y across thevertical holding part 4. Therefore, when the swing holder 1 is used, itis possible to prevent a situation in which the swing holder 1 tilts dueto the weight of the infant Y and the swing holder 1 falls down.

MODIFIED EXAMPLE

Next, a modified example of the swing holder 1 will be described withreference to FIG. 7.

Here, the vertical holding part 4 and the band support part 60 of theswing holder 1 can be integrally detached from the support plate 33. Inother words, the vertical holding part 4 is freely attachable from theswing mechanism 3 and can be used alone. Hereinafter, the usage patternof the vertical holding part 4 will be described in detail.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a usage pattern of the verticalholding part 4 of the swing holder 1.

As shown in FIG. 7, the vertical holding part 4 can be easily attachedto and detached from various mounting bodies via the attachment 80 byproviding the attachment 80 at the lower ends of the two arms 61 of theband support part 60. The mounting body is one to which the verticalholding part 4 is attached, and examples thereof include a baby carriage95, a seat 94 of a vehicle 92 or the like, in addition to the swingmechanism 3.

That is, for example, the vertical holding part 4 can be attached to anddetached from the swing mechanism 3 of the aforementioned swing holder 1via the attachment 80. For example, the vertical holding part 4 can beattached to and detached from a seating surface 91 of the baby carriage95 via the attachment 80. For example, the vertical holding part 4 canbe attached to and detached from a seat seating surface 93 of thevehicle 92 via the attachment 80.

In this way, in the aforementioned modified example, only the verticalholding part 4 can be carried. The vertical holding part 4 can beattached to various mounting bodies (for example, the swing mechanism 3,the baby carriage 95, the seat 94 of the vehicle 92, etc.), and thevertical holding part 4 can be used in various situations andapplications. Therefore, it is possible to provide a swing holder 1 thatis easy to use.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodimentand includes various modifications to the above-described embodimentwithout departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, the case where the swing holder 1 includes the carrier 5has been described in the above-described embodiment. However, thepresent invention is not limited thereto, and it is also possible to usea sling band different from the swing holder 1 as the carrier 5. Anysling band that can be supported by the band support part 60 of theswing holder 1 may be used.

The case where two bulging parts 49 disposed side by side in theleft-right direction are formed in the vertical holding part 4 has beendescribed. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and atleast one bulging part 49 may be formed in the vertical holding part 4.If the vertical holding part 4 has one bulging part 49, the infant Y caneasily hold the vertical holding part 4.

The case where the vertical holding part 4 has a convex part 46 curvedto protrude toward the user side formed on the side closer to the userside than the lateral rib 45 of the lower body 43 has been described.However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the lowerbody 43 may be flat without forming the convex part 46. The case wherethe vertical length of the framework 41 in the vertical holding part 4is longer than the length from the buttocks Yd to the head Yt of theinfant Y has been described. However, the present invention is notlimited thereto, and the length of the framework 41 in the verticaldirection may be a length in which the infant Y can be supported fromthe front at least from an abdominal Yf to a chest Yk of the infant Y(see FIG. 2).

The case where the seat part 71 has a seating surface 71 a and a backpad part 71 b to hold from the buttocks Yd to the back Yh of the infantY has been described. However, the present invention is not limitedthereto, and the seat part 71 may hold at least the back Yh of theinfant Y. In this case, the infant Y is seated on, for example, thetemporary seating surface 30. A seating surface on which the infant Y isseated may be provided in place of the temporary seating surface 30.

The case where the carrier 5 has a seat part 71 for holding from thebuttocks Yd to the back Yh of the infant Y, and a lower band part 72 andan upper band part 73 extending from the seat part 71 has beendescribed. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and anystructure may be used as long as the infant Y can be supported frombelow and the back Yh. The carrier 5 may not have a band part attachedto the band support part 60.

The infant Y may be supported only by the vertical holding part 4without using the carrier 5. In this case, the vertical holding part 4is tilted so that the infant Y leans against the vertical holding part 4(see the vertical holding part 4 indicated by the alternate long and twoshort dash lines in FIG. 2), and the infant Y may be preferably surelysupported from front by the front pad part 55 of the vertical holdingpart 4. In this case, the infant Y is seated on the temporary seatingsurface 30.

The case where the swing holder 1 has two swing mechanism parts 11 and12 has been described. Further, the case where the vertical holding part4 swings in three patterns of vertical swing, pivot swing, and verticalpivot swing by operating the first swing mechanism part 11 and thesecond swing mechanism part 12 has been described. However, the presentinvention is not limited thereto, and the swing holder 1 may have one ofthe swing mechanism parts 11 and 12. Further, the vertical holding part4 may swing in one of the three patterns of vertical swing, pivot swing,and vertical pivot swing.

The case where the turntable 23 of the swing holder 1 is provided to befreely rotatable with respect to the support shaft 26 has beendescribed. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, andthe turntable 23 and the support shaft 26 may be integrated. In thiscase, in the vertical swinging motion of the vertical holding part 4,only the first swing mechanism part 11 is driven as in theabove-described embodiment.

In the case of the pivot swinging motion of the vertical holding part 4,the first swing mechanism part 11 and the second swing mechanism part 12are driven synchronously. As a result, the relative positions betweenthe rollers 20 provided on the support shaft 26 and the swing guide 14do not change. Therefore, only the pivot swinging motion of the verticalholding part 4 can be performed without swinging vertically.

In the case of vertical pivot swinging motion of the vertical holdingpart 4, only the second swing mechanism part 12 is driven. As a result,the support shaft 26 is pivoted while the roller 20 moves along theinclined surface 14 b of the swing guide 14. Therefore, the verticalswinging motion of the vertical holding part 4 is performed.

The case where the vertical holding part 4 includes the framework 41having the hollow part 41 a has been described. The case where only thearm 61 of the band support part 60 is disposed in the hollow part 41 ahas been described. However, the present invention is not limitedthereto, and a sound source such as a speaker may be provided in thehollow part 41 a so that the sound is output from the vertical holdingpart 4. A heat source such as a heater may be provided in the hollowpart 41 a so that the temperature of the vertical holding part 4 can beadjusted. For example, a fragrance may be provided in the hollow part 41a so that scent can be emitted from the vertical holding part 4. Withthese configurations, the infant Y can be further relaxed.

The case where the vertical holding part 4 can be easily attached to anddetached from various attachment bodies via the attachment 80 by theattachment 80 provided at the lower ends of the two arms 61 of the bandsupport part 60 has been described. However, the present invention isnot limited thereto, and the vertical holding part 4 and the attachment80 may be integrated. For example, the attachment 80 may be provided onthe support plate 33 or the attachment 80 may be provided directly onthe framework 41.

What is claimed is:
 1. A holder comprising: a vertical holding partconfigured to support a user in a vertical posture so that a head ispositioned vertically; and a swing mechanism configured to swing thevertical holding part, wherein the vertical holding part has a front padpart extending in a vertical direction and configured to support theuser from a front of the user, at least from an abdomen to a chest ofthe user, wherein the vertical holding part is freely attachable to anddetachable from the swing mechanism below the vertical holding part, andwherein a position of a center of gravity of the swing mechanism is on aside opposite to the front pad part across a position where the verticalholding part is attached to the swing mechanism.
 2. The holder accordingto claim 1, further comprising: a carrier configured to support a lowerside and a back of the user.
 3. The holder according to claim 2, whereinthe carrier has a seat part configured to hold at least the back of theuser and a band part configured to suspend the seat part, and the holderincludes a band support part provided above the vertical holding partand configured to support the band part.
 4. The holder according toclaim 1, wherein a temporary seating surface on which the user isplaceable is provided below the vertical holding part.
 5. The holderaccording to claim 1, wherein the vertical holding part has at least onebulging part in which a central part in a left-right direction isadapted to bulge toward a user side from both sides in the left-rightdirection orthogonal to a direction between the user side and a sideopposite to the user and the vertical direction, the bulging partextending in the vertical direction of the vertical holding part.
 6. Theholder according to claim 5, wherein two bulging parts are disposed sideby side in the left-right direction.
 7. The holder according to claim 5,wherein the vertical holding part has a convex part adapted to protrudetoward the user, and the bulging parts are disposed above the convexpart.
 8. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the swing mechanismswings the vertical holding part in at least one of a vertical directionand a pivoting direction.
 9. The holder according to claim 1, furthercomprising: an attachment configured to attach and detach the verticalholding part to and from the swing mechanism.